


The Perfomance

by Ailelie, Cinaed



Series: Enduring Legends [6]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M, Het, No season 4 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-03
Updated: 2011-12-03
Packaged: 2017-10-26 19:46:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/287171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ailelie/pseuds/Ailelie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinaed/pseuds/Cinaed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Friday, December 2 2011</i></p><p>In which Gavin congratulates Elle after a performance and asks her a favor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Perfomance

_Friday, December 2, 2011_

The lights dimmed as the curtains went down a final time, and then Gavin had to blink against the sudden brightness as all the house lights came on. People were already standing and heading towards the exits, most chatting about the performance, snatches of half-heard conversations filling Gavin’s ears.

He fought against the crowd as he headed towards the stage, feeling like a fish trying to swim upstream. His gaze was fixed upon his target. Up on the stage, Elle had one arm slung across her understudy’s shoulders, her face flushed from the lights and merriment.

“Now, just tell me--” Elle was saying, her voice slightly husky from over-use, then she spotted Gavin. She grinned for a second, and then stepped closer to the stage’s edge, wagging a reproving finger at him. “Gavin! Don’t think I didn’t notice you sitting eight rows back, mister. I distinctly remember giving you a front row ticket to the final performance!” She paused, wrinkling her brow. “Or maybe I meant to give you one and left it in my purse all month.”

Gavin grinned. “Yeah, I took the lack of a ticket as your way of telling me to stop freeloading off you,” he drawled. “Besides,” he added, assuming a mock-grave expression, “sitting in the first row was too much of a temptation. It was probably better this way.”  

Elle quirked an eyebrow. “Temptation?” she asked, tilting her head. “What temptation?”

This close, Gavin could see how her hair was plastered to her forehead from sweat, the way the make-up had long since smudged beyond repair on her face. It was ridiculous, he thought, how appealing that bedraggled look was on her. His fingers twitched at his sides, wanting to brush her hair out of her face.

“To slug Will when he kissed you in Act II,” he said. He couldn’t help but grin when Will squinted at him, apparently wondering if Gavin was serious.

Elle laughed a deep belly laugh that nearly overbalanced her. Only one of the other actors grabbing Elle’s elbow and tugging her backwards kept her from tumbling off the stage and into Gavin’s arms. “Oops!” She smiled sheepishly and took another step backwards. “Give me a second to change?”

“Sure thing,” Gavin said, and watched her stumble as she turned and darted backstage.

Will shook his head. “I will never get how she’s graceful on the stage, but starts tripping over her own feet as soon as the performance is over,” he said.

Gavin shrugged, squashing a sudden swell of irritation. Will hadn’t meant anything cruel, he knew. He forced a smile on his face. “That’s Elle,” he said, and then hauled himself onto the stage, rising to his feet next to a startled Will. “Think anyone’ll mind if I go backstage?”

Cate snorted. “Not as long as you two don’t use her changing room to--”

“Cate!” Will snapped. He rolled his eyes at Gavin as Gavin resisted the urge to laugh. Judging by Will’s scandalized look, it was probably best not to mention that Gavin and Elle had made out once or twice in the changing room…and on stage…and in the box office during the opening night after-party when they’d been too drunk to drive to Elle’s apartment. “Ignore her-- mind in the gutter.”  

Gavin waved a hand. “Great performance, by the way,” he said, only half-listening to Will’s thank-you.

“I’m not decent, but come in anyway!” Elle said when he knocked on the door.

Gavin poked his head in, raising his eyebrows and grinning at her struggling to get her head and arms into her sweater. He caught a flash of bare skin as her turtleneck rose slightly as she thrashed around. He stepped inside, catching her by the shoulders. “Let me,” he said.

“Thanks,” Elle said, voice muffled. “Have I mentioned I hate all pull-over clothing?”

“Many times,” Gavin said, laughing. He smoothed the sweater, his hands coming to rest on Elle’s waist. He tugged her closer, grinning. “You were amazing, by the way.”

She wrinkled her nose at him, grinning, pleased but uncomfortable, as she sometimes was with praise. “Thanks,” she said again, and then leaned into him. She rested her head against his chest for a moment. “Want to go for drinks with everyone?”

“We can do that,” Gavin agreed. “But I wanted to ask you something first.”

Elle lifted her head to peer inquisitively into his face.  

“You know the shelter I volunteer for,” Gavin said. His throat tightened a little, as it always did lately when he told Elle half-truths. He was going to tell her that he didn’t so much volunteer at the shelter as he did, well, _own_ it soon, really, he was.

Elle grinned. “Oh yes, the shelter you volunteer for,” she said, placing enough emphasis on the second-to-last word that he blinked at her. Her expression was innocent though, just sweetly interested as she cocked her head to the side and waited for him to continue.

“Well, the shelter’s owner saw one of your performances, and uh, liked it. A lot, actually.” Gavin grinned at her. “He was wondering if you wanted to do a holiday show there.”

“A holiday show?” Elle echoed. She pulled away, and he yelped when she punched him hard in the arm. “Your _shelter owner_ decided it was a good idea to wait until the last minute to ask me? It’s already December! We have less than barely three weeks to get things together! I’ll have to figure out what we can throw together so last minute, who would want to do it, what kind of costumes we’ll need--”

“Is that a yes?” Gavin asked over her excited tangent, resisting the urge to rub his arm. Elle could hit hard when she wanted.

Elle beamed at him. “That’s definitely a yes.” She hugged him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. “Let’s go across the street to the bar-- I bet Will or Alice will have some great suggestions.”

“Okay,” Gavin said, and laughed as Elle tugged him towards the door.  

**Author's Note:**

> This part was written by Cinaed.


End file.
